The Final Wish
by VlonewolfV
Summary: Anya and Xander get one last chance while their friends try to save them.
1. The Beginning

The Final Wish  
  
Disclaimer: Buffy and crew belongs to Joss Whedon.  
  
Summary: Anya and Xander get one last chance while their friends try and save them. This story takesplace shortly after Showtime.  
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The Beginning   
  
Xander couldn't go to sleep. He had been tossing and turning on the couch the entire night. Various thoughts kept running through his head. Many of them dealt with how they would all die while battling the First. Yet strangely enough those were not the thoughts that plagued him the most.   
  
Anya. He looked over at all the girls that were asleep in Buffy's living room. Several more Slayers-to-be had survived the journey bringing their total to 12. But despite how dark it was and Anya having her back to him, he could still tell which one she was. He watched her as the usual pain set in on his heart. He still loved her; he had never stopped. His actions at their wedding were because he loved her so much. But even so, they were unforgivable.  
  
Anya was twitching as if she was having a bad dream. The connection between Buffy's resurrection and the First causing trouble had hit Anya pretty hard. She had been struggling to find who she was. Trying to become her own person. Finding out she had helped unleash the First Evil did not help matters.  
  
He wished he could comfort Anya during this time, but she wouldn't let him. She kept shoving him away, never letting him get close. He couldn't blame her though. He did stand her up at the altar. He could only imagine the pain that she must have gone through. But if she only knew how scared he was that he might hurt her, he thought she might begin to understand.   
  
He imagined curling around her while nuzzling her neck. One hand would move under Anya to gently hold her close, while his other stroked her arm. And then Anya would turn around to face Xander, and hold him too. They would be locked in a loving embrace.  
  
As if reading Xanders thoughts, Anya started to roll over.  
  
"AHH!!!" Xander screamed in shock.  
  
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Yeah I know it was a short chapter, sorry about that. But since the story is already practically done, updates will be fairly quick, and each chapter seems to get longer and longer. So please Read/Review and let me know how the story is going. 


	2. Playful Banter

Playful Banter  
  
It was Kennedy. The girl he had been watching in the dark was Kennedy, one of the Slayers-to-be.  
  
"Xander!" Anya sniped. Her voice came from the other couch in the living room. "I know you care nothing for your beauty but some of us need the sleep to maintain ours."  
  
Xander looked over. There was Anya, the blankets wrapped tightly around her body, laying on the other couch.  
  
"Oh...sorry...Kennedy, you," Xander mumbled his words in his small state of shock. "Ahem," he cleared his throat and chuckled a little, "It's just that I felt I should figure out how deeply these girls slept. You know, in case we were attacked by the big bads in the middle of the night."  
  
"Well, you will be pleased to know we are all awake." Kennedy answered.  
  
"Good job girls. You passed the test. I will let Buffy know how you did in the morning," Xander responded feeling he had dodged that bullet fairly easily.  
  
"I doubt that Xander," Anya said, "You were probably just pleasuring yourself and peaked. It's not like you have had sex with anyone in a while." At that, several of the Slayers-to-be started giggling.  
  
"Well, your adventure with Spike gives you the heads up on me doesn't it," Xander chided.  
  
At that Anya kept staring at him. Everyone was settling back to sleep while Anya continued to stare at Xander. She had regretted sleeping with Spike. Yeah it was good, but she regretted it because it hurt Xander. She still loved him. She was lost and in pain, and couldn't be with him, even if he wanted her back. She refused to think of it anymore. She was stronger than this, at least, she hoped she was. She shut her eyes and forced herself to sleep.  
  
A womanly figure suddenly appeared in the room. She walked towards Anya and knelt beside her. With a smirk on her face she glanced from Anya to Xander.  
  
"It is time Anyanka. Soon you will know what my final wish is." She glanced around the room to make sure the others were still under her sleep spell, "Let my wish be..."  
  
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Wow! After 2 chapters the story is finally starting to come into play, but just at the end. You should think of the first two chapters as the teaser before the credits where not much happens and the stage is set for the rest of the episode.  
  
What stopped the women from finishing her wish. And who is she for that matter? Answers will be revealed in the next chapter, along with a small little fight scene to boot. The Slayer gets to finally do something. 


	3. Aren't You Dead?

Aren't You Dead?  
  
Buffy tiptoed into the room and looked around, "You guys still awake? You should really get some sleep for training tomorrow." The room was silent. Buffy waited a few seconds for a response, "Huh. Thought I heard something. Must have just been the bed bugs."   
  
As she headed back upstairs the figure rematerialized into the room, "Meddlesome Slayer!" She turned back to Anya, "Now, where was I? Oh yes. Let my wish..." She was silenced by an arrow piercing her back. She turned around to see Buffy standing in the doorway with a crossbow.  
  
"You just can't take your eyes off these bed bugs for a minute can you?" Buffy said as she grabbed a sword and headed for the figure.   
  
She pulled the arrow out of her back, "You Slayers and your swords, you think you would have learned last time." The figure said as she blocked Buffy's thrust.   
  
Buffy backhanded the figure, "Well, you know us Slayers. We tend to lean towards the classics." Buffy paused, "What do you mean last..." A kick to Buffy's stomach interrupted her thought. Buffy bent over in pain and the figure knocked her to the ground with a round house kick. The sword fell from Buffy's hand.  
  
Buffy looked up and got a clear look at the figure's face, "Halfrek?!" In that moment of pause, Halfrek stabbed the arrow she had been holding into Buffy's shoulder. Buffy screamed in pain and was then tossed to the far side of the room.  
  
"Now then," she said turning back to Anya, "let my wish be..."  
  
"Halfrek NO!" Buffy yelled as she leapt for the vengeance demon.  
  
"...done!"  
  
There was a bright flash of light and Halfrek disappeared. Buffy went right through where Halfrek once stood and landed on the Slayers-to-be, "Oh sorry girls. I didn't mean to..." she noticed they were still asleep despite the mid evening brawl, "to...do absolutely nothing to you." Buffy got up carefully and pulled the arrow out of her shoulder. "Man, these were my favorite pajamas," Buffy said looking at her bloodied shoulder.  
  
Willow came rushing down the stairs, "What's going on? I heard some noises down here."  
  
"Halfrek is what happened. It appears that her biting the big one was a hoax. She showed up, made with the mad mojo, and pulled a vanishing act."  
  
"Halfrek?" Willow looked puzzled, "ANYA!" She rushed over to Anya and tried to wake her.  
  
"Willow, they all seem to be down for the count."  
  
Willow closed her eyes and held out her hand, "Not all of them." She moved her hand towards the Slayers-to-be, "Awake." The girls lying on the floor suddenly woke up and snapped to attention.  
  
Kennedy held her back as she stood. "Ohh, " she groaned in mild pain, "what hit me? It feels like a ton of bricks was dropped on my back."  
  
"HEY! I will have you know I..."  
  
"WHO got blood on my new silk nightie?" interrupted Molly.  
  
Buffy turned hiding her bloody shoulder, "Umm...I think it was Halfrek." She said smiling.  
  
"Buffy," said Willow, "you should see this." Buffy walked to where Willow was inspecting Anya. Anya was still asleep.  
  
"What's going on?" Buffy questioned. She was hoping it would be something easily fixable.  
  
"I'm not sure exactly. The only thing I DO know is that it is the wish that is keeping her asleep. Oh, and it is affecting Xander too." Buffy looked over to Xander and he too was asleep on the couch. Buffy sighed. Two of her friends were downed by a supposedly dead vengeance demon. How was she going to handle this one?  
  
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Another chapter up. And it is a good one I think. Halfrek back from the dead?!?! How can that be possible? She also granted her own wish. Now all the rules are being broken! Don't worry my readers, all will be revealed in good time.  
  
One more thing, my story does refer to some past episodes and I will be adding a small History section here at the end with a basic description of where the "in-joke" came from, or give relevant information. After all not everyone can remember every little detail from previous seasons.  
  
HISTORY:  
  
-Halfrek was killed earlier this season. Anya reversed a wish she made and as penance, D'Hoffran killed poor Halfrek instead. He said Anya would feel worse knowing that she got her best friend killed.   
  
-The reference to the sword is that Buffy seems to love to use swords against both Halfrek and Anyanka even though they are completely ineffective against Vengeance Demons. 


	4. Cave of Trials

Cave of Trials  
  
Anya's eyes suddenly opened. The sight that greeted her shocked her. She was no longer in the Summers living room. She was lying on a rocky ground in the middle of what appeared to be a cave. She closed her eyes hoping that it was all a dream. That was when she realized she was being held. There was an arm around her, holding her close. Her breath caught. He hadn't held her this way in a long time. Anya knew who it was. He was holding her the way he always did when they used to sleep together.  
  
"XANDER!!! Get your hand off my breast right now or I will break it right off!"  
  
Xander woke up with a start, "What? NO! I'm small and...fragile..." His voice trailed off as he shook the grogginess from his eyes. He too instantly noticed their change in surroundings. He sat up looking around their new location, "Where are we? What happened?"  
  
"I'm not sure. We were already here when I woke up," Anya said getting up while dusting herself off.  
  
"Are you all right?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine." Anya noticed what she was wearing, "Huh. I'm also fully clothed."  
  
"Well, I would say that is a big point on the obvious scale."  
  
"No Xander, I meant I am in regular clothes. Not my pajamas."  
  
"Xander noticed that he too was wearing his regular clothes instead of the top and bottoms he had been wearing lately to bed. "That doesn't make sense," he commented, "who would kidnap us, right from the Slayers home I might add, and go to the trouble of seeing we were both clothed properly? And then they go and dump us in the middle of some cave. What, they couldn't spring for the Four Seasons?"  
  
"Actually we aren't in the middle. The entrance is right there," Anya said pointing to the mouth of the cave.  
  
Xander turned his attention to where she was pointing. "Or correctly termed, the 'exit' is right over there. At least for us." He smiled at Anya, "Come on, let's get out of here." He slowly walked towards the entrance keeping Anya behind him. If something was going to spring out from the shadows, he wanted it to go after him so Anya had a chance to get away. If they were going to be stuck where veer they were for a while, he was going to make sure Anya was safe. At the mouth of the cave Xander paused to look around. The outside looked to be a desert, and Xander could not see its end.  
  
"Well, we certainly aren't in Kansas anymore."  
  
"Hey, way to master pop culture Ahn. Come on, we are going to have to find water or something to eat," Xander said, continuing outside the cave.  
  
"Well, I remember it because of how they killed the witch. Not that it would have worked on Willow, but I was desperate enough to try anything. Not that I wanted to..." Anya was cut short by a blinding flash. "Xander? What was that?" she asked rubbing her eyes in an attempt to see better. As her eyes cleared, she saw Xander lying on the ground unconscious.  
  
"Oh my god. Xander!" Anya said as she rushed to his side. "Xander, wake up. You have to wake up! Please! For me!" She started to shake him frantically as blood started to trickle down the side of his mouth. Anya noticed that he had also stopped breathing. She started to cry.  
  
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"Why won't they wake up? What's wrong with them?" asked one of the Slayers-to be. The entire house was awake now and crowded around the sleeping bodies of Anya and Xander. All the girls were talking amongst themselves, asking various questions, wondering if the two were dead. Buffy couldn't even hear herself think.  
  
"All right that's enough!" Buffy yelled. "If you girls want to help you will go into the basement and train. Spike make sure they all stay down there, I don't want anymore interruptions from them."  
  
"Will do, Buff," Spike said turning to the teenage girls. He and Kennedy managed to herd them all to the basement despite their protests.  
  
"All right. We need to get them out of the living room," Buffy continued, "Dawn, Willow, carry Anya upstairs. We will use your room." She said nodding to Willow. As they picked up Anya, Buffy picked up Xander.  
  
Giles walked over holding several books in his arms. "Are you sure it was a Vengeance Demon? One that is supposedly dead?"  
  
"It was her Giles. It was Halfrek. I don't know how she did it though. D'Hoffryn killed her. I saw it with my own eyes"  
  
"All right, I will see what I can find." Giles turned to Dawn and willow as they headed up the stairs with Anya, "after you deposit her, I will you need your help too girls." They nodded as Giles headed to the dining room where the rest of his volumes were at present.  
  
Buffy shifted Xanders weight as she carried him upstairs, and she felt something cold and wet drip on her arm. She looked down and saw that blood was gathering at the corners of his mouth.  
  
"Oh my god! Giles! Giles, come quick. Xanders bleeding. Giles rushed to Buffys side as did Willow. She rushed Xander to the bedroom and placed him next to Anya on the bed.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"I don't know, I just looked down and saw the blood."  
  
Giles checked Xanders pulse. He felt nothing.  
  
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Sorry this one took so long. I just didn't get around to posting it which is unforgivable. Especially since I haven't been that busy lately. Although I did have to watch the Superbowl ALIAS 5 times. Well, here it is. This is how the format of the chapters will be for the most part. It will focus on Anya and Xander's doings and at the end touch upon what is happening back at Slayer central. I have a couple of interesting pieces on how to keep the gang involved so they just don't sit around wondering what is happening so stay tuned. Although I still don't know how, or even if I should work Andrew in.  
  
HISTORY:  
  
-I really don't think I pulled anything from previous eps for this chapter. There was the little bit about Willow going evil, but that was a big event that I am sure everyone knows about. 


	5. To Save a Life

To Save a Life  
  
"Xander! Don't die. Please don't. You need to breathe. Breathe or me. Don't do this to me....Please!" Anya was beginning to scream frantically. She couldn't lose him now. Not like this. She wiped the blood from the side of his mouth with her hand. Then cleaned it off on the clothes she was wearing.  
  
"Stay calm Anya," she said to herself, "stay calm. You can help him. You just need to think of how." Anya's other hand rested on the back of Xanders neck while her eyes darted around Xanders body trying to come up with something for her to do. "He's not breathing and...OH! There is that...that CPR thing. Yeah, he did that to Buffy when she was dead." Anya placed both of her hands on his sternum feeling around for what felt like a place she could push in. "All right girl, you can do this."  
  
She chose a spot and gently pushed in. She released it and pushed again, this time a little harder. "This looks right...right?" she asked the unconscious Xander. But he still gave no response. She repeated the compression's hoping that this would work. "Come on Xander. Why aren't you breathing? Maybe...Aren't I supposed to breathe into your mouth too," Xander laid there in silence, "yes, yeah, that it." She tilted Xanders head back and breathed into his mouth several times. Then she resumed the compression's.  
  
She continued alternating between the two actions, not sure what she was going to do if it didn't work. Tears were still streaming down her face, and Anya feared she would be doing this forever. If she stopped she would have to accept that Xander was dead. She couldn't do that. She still loved him. No matter how much he had hurt her, she still didn't want him dead. She still wanted him in her life.  
  
Xander suddenly started coughing, snapping to attention at the same time. "Xander! You're alive" She hugged him tightly as the tears came even faster. She had done it. She had saved Xanders life.  
  
"Ahn..." Xander squeaked, "Ahn.... You're choking me.  
  
"Oh, sorry," Anya said instantly letting go. Xander fell back to the ground. His head hit the ground with a sickening thud.  
  
"Oh! Sorry again," Anya said wiping the tears from her face. "But, you're alive. And that is better than dead, so..."  
  
"Yeah the pain is always a good reminder of being alive," Xander muttered. He groaned a little as he sat up and Anya went to lend him support. She held his back so he would not fall back down, and made sure he was completely steady before letting go. Xander looked at where she gripped him, and then up to Anya, "Thanks."  
  
Anya instantly pulled her hands away slightly embarrassed. She wasn't sure why she should be though. "You're welcome Xander."  
  
"So what happened?"  
  
Fighting the redness in her cheeks Anya pointed towards the mouth of the cave. "Well, when you walked into this," she stooped picking up a rock and tossing it at the entrance. It caused a blinding flash as Anya continued, "field protecting the entrance, your heart stopped. I had to do CPR to save you."  
  
Xander looked over at her again. If it wasn't for the purple spots in his eyes from the blinding flash moments ago, he would be able to see Anya's expression clearly. But as it was he wasn't sure what she was thinking. "Thanks again is in order then."  
  
Anya blushed again, "Don't mention it," Anya turned, "besides, I will need your military survival skills if I want to survive for any period of time while I'm here. You do come in handy with those kinds of things."  
  
Xander smirked, "Well, I am fine now so we should probably try and find another way out." Xander picked up a handful of pebbles off the floor. He figured it would be a good idea to take the lead and toss them every couple seconds. Didn't want to scare Anya like that again. He looked back to her as they started through the tunnel. It was going to be interesting to be with her alone after all this time."  
  
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"Any good news?" Buffy inquired of Giles getting up from the chair in the bedroom. She hadn't left them alone in case they received another scare from their two unconscious friends. She wasn't sure what had happened, but had a feeling that Anya had something to do with it. Right before Xander began breathing again, Anya had muttered several phrases protesting Xanders death. Whatever was happening to them, they were definitely connected somehow.  
  
"Well, we have a little. I have found the summoning spell for Halfrek. I sent Willow to the Magic Shop to get the ingredients a while ago. She should be back momentarily," Giles said taking his glasses off to clean them, "how is Xander doing?"  
  
"He seems fine now. Everything checks out A-OK. His pulse is beaty, and his breathing is good too. I just wish I knew what was happening."  
  
"Giles?" Willow yelled as she came up the stairs.  
  
"In here Willow," Buffy and Giles walked out of the room greeting her in he hallway.  
  
"Well, I have the stuff."  
  
"Good, we will do the spell downstairs," Giles said taking the items from Willow.  
  
"I'll go down too. In case Halfrek tries to do anything, I want to be there."  
  
"Let's perform the spell in the kitchen." Giles said to the others. Giles and Willow began setting up the items and Buffy took a seat in one of the chairs. She knew that if the spell worked she had to get the amulet from Halfrek. She was pretty sure she could do that. After all, she always was good at simple hand to hand combat and all she had to do was grip the amulet and rip it off. "It will be several minutes before we are done mixing and setting up Buffy."  
  
"All right. I am going to get Dawn to watch them while we are down here. Make sure we have someone up there to make sure everything works out once we break the wish." Buffy ran back upstairs to find Dawn already sitting in the room with Xander and Anya. She walked in quietly, "Are you OK Dawn?"  
"Oh, hi Buffy," Dawn said not really turning her head to acknowledge her sisters presence. "Yeah I'm fine. I'm just scared for them."  
  
"I know, we all are," Buffy said as she rested her hands on Dawns shoulders.  
  
"It will be all right though," Giles found the summoning spell, so as soon as Halfrek gets her, we will be able to break the wish."  
  
"I hope so" Dawn said as Buffy hugged her sister while she was still sitting.  
  
"Can you stay up here with them? Just make sure they are all right, while we are down there with Halfrek?"  
  
"Yeah Buffy, I'm not going anywhere."  
  
"That's my sis. Just yell down if anything happens. With any luck the yell will be one to let us know they are awake."  
  
"Buffy! We are ready down here," Willow yelled came from downstairs. Buffy let go of Dawn and sprinted to the kitchen. Taking a seat, she watched as Giles began to work his mojo.  
  
"Halfrek, I beseech thee," Giles said, cutting some sage root and throwing it into a pot. "In the name of all children scorned-come before me!" with the last word spoken, Giles lit a chalice filled with herbs on fire. There was a puff of smoke and then nothing. Giles looked around, expecting Halfrek to show up any second.  
  
"Did it work?" Buffy asked. As she did the Chalice suddenly melted. "What was that?"  
  
"Damn!" Giles muttered. "The spell worked fine actually. But the chalice melting does show one thing."  
  
"What is that?" Buffy asked not sure how the spell could have worked yet no Halfrek was present to be killed.  
  
"It proves that Halfrek truly is dead. That is what happens to a summoning spell when calling upon a dead Vengeance Demon." Giles fell into the seat with an upset look on his face.  
  
"So if Halfrek really is dead, then what the hell is going on?" Buffy asked, not sure what their next plan of action was going to be.  
  
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And now another one for the books. I won't even comment on why it took so long to get this up. But here it is for those of you that want it. Another chapter added to the story. And with it a couple more questions are asked. We get to see Anya in an actual hero sort of role today. Plus, how did Halfrek cast a wish of her own making on them? Especially since we now know she is dead. Is it even Halfrek? Only I know the answers to those questions, and that's the way I like it. Of course, all will be revealed eventually. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, because Anya and Xander, along with the rest of the Scooby gang still have a lot they will go through in this journey.  
  
On a side note, I might edit this chapter before I finish. Nothing major, I am just not too happy with the frantic Anya talk at the beginning. I need to switch some around, but I am not sure what to do to it quite yet. So I just figured I would post and move on until I do figure out how to write it. I will make a note of it in the summary if I do edit and change any chapters in case you want to know. I will also leave word in the chapter that is posted afterwards so that everyone is in the know. So if you hate it or like it please review and tell me.  
  
Oh and thank you to those who have reviewed the story so far.  
  
HISTORY:  
  
-When Anya commented on the CPR saving Buffy's life, that was from the season 1 finale "Prophecy Girl"  
  
-And of course the military reference came from the Season 2 Halloween episode when Xander was turned into a commando  
  
- Also the summoning spell for Halfrek is the same one that Giles used to summon Anyanka back in Season 3. I was going to make it different but figured they would be about the same since they were both Vengeance Demons. 


	6. To Prove a Point

To Prove a Point  
  
"This tunnel just keeps on going, Xander," Anya complained. She was right Xander agreed silently. They had been walking for at least an hour and the tunnel had yet to do anything but go straight. Xander wondered again where they could have possibly been taken. "My feet are killing me. We can take a break now."  
  
"That's probably a good idea. We do seem to be going nowhere fast," he looked around and picked out a random spot, "This place looks about as good as any." They sat down next to each other in silence. After a minute Xander broke first, "Well, you could just cut this awkwardness with a knife."  
  
"Well, what are supposed to be doing? Talking about what we have been up to the last week or so. It's not like we anything to talk about to each other," Anya said matter of factly. She was right. While Xander wanted to talk with her as they used to, that was impossible now. The silence just increased. It weighed heavy on Xander for he believed it to be all his fault. He did love Anya, that fact had never changed. But his fear had overcome him, and he had left her at the alter. He was a coward. Xander smirked at that. He had never thought twice about going into an uncertain battle with a demon, but loving Anya was the scariest thing he had ever done. He didn't trust himself enough not to become the vision he was shown at the wedding. The fact that he had hurt Anya simply by leaving proved to him, that the vision wasn't too far from the truth.  
  
He looked over at Anya as she sat there. Anya was trying to massage her feet but doing a very poor job of it. She gave up after another attempt, condemned to painful feet. She didn't know what she was doing. Being alone with Xander, even after all this time was hard. She knew that he still loved her, but the pain she felt was too great to act upon her wishes. She didn't understand why Xander had left her in the first place. How could someone who loved her do that. Yes he had told her why, but it didn't make sense. If she was able to put her trust in him, so should he. This whole relationship problem just confused her. She didn't know what she was supposed to do, or how she should act. She had become a Vengeance Demon again simply because it was familiar. But of course, it really wasn't what she wanted.  
  
She didn't know what she wanted, or who she should be. She hung around with Buffy and everyone else simply because that was familiar too. They were all sort of her friends. After all Willow did help her out after her last wish. But they never hung out alone together. As far as Anya was concerned. When she and Xander were together, Xander was enough for her. She didn't even have her one actual friend anymore.  
  
Halfrek was there for her whenever she needed it. They were friends, what some might consider best friends. But she was gone now. Anya had not meant for that to happen. When she asked D'Hoffran to take back the wish, she meant for him to kill her. Why hadn't he? Her life would be so much simpler if it had gone the way she wanted it to. She would be dead and wouldn't have to deal with any of these confusing and painful emotions right now. But no, D'Hoffran hadn't killed her. Anya closed her eyes and was about to cry. The only reason she didn't was because something grabbed her foot.  
  
She opened her eyes to see Xander, beginning to massage her feet. He looked up and smiled, "It's always easier to have someone else do this for you." She became upset. She wasn't sure why, she just was. She jumped up surprising Xander making him fall back.  
  
"No, Xander," she yelled at him, "You lost the right to massage my feet or touch any part of my body a long time ago. But obviously you didn't love me enough to go through with it, so you have no right to touch me."  
  
"I'm sorry for leaving you Anya, but how can you think I don't love you anymore."  
  
"Well, we aren't married right now! Look at my finger. Do you see a ring on it! Well, except for this one." Anya ripped off one of her rings and threw it at Xander, "Well is there a ring there?"  
  
Xander paused not sure what he should be saying to make this right. If there was anything he could say that is, "No....there,"  
  
"That's right. No ring means you don't love me. And now I have all these sad feelings in me, and I don't know what to do Xander. How could anything be good right now? How? And now we are in this cave. And obviously you have no idea where we are going. So you can just stay there Xander Harris!" she pushed Xander back down as he was attempting to get up. She turned around and took off running down the cave. She rounded a corner and didn't stop. There were tears in her eyes again. She couldn't believe she had just blown up like that. She stopped, almost collapsing onto the ground. She used the wall for support and tried to let the tears come. But once again they were stopped. When she opened her eyes, she wasn't in the tunnel anymore.  
  
Anya suddenly found herself in a house.  
  
She looked around, the sudden change jarred her tears away. What had happened? Where was she. She found that she recognized this place. But how could she? Anya had never seen this building before.  
  
"Hey there Ahn," she turned around and was immediately hugged by Xander. She was about to struggle against the hold, but something in her told her not to. He kissed her on the cheek and went over to the table. "You're home early hon, what happened?" He looked different. Older somehow. She wasn't quite sure what it was though.  
  
Puzzled, Anya was about to ask what was going on. But what she actually said was even stranger, "Well, a Polgara demon attacked the shop. Luckily Willow was able to drive it back. After cleaning up the shop, I figured I would call it a day and come home to see my wonderful husband." She smiled walking over to Xander. She sat on his lap and kissed him.  
  
* ~ * ~ *  
  
Xander jumped up and started chasing after her. He couldn't believe Anya had blown up like that. A lot of what she said hurt, but it was nothing more than what he deserved after what he did to her. Xander stopped running after a little bit. He knew that he had seen Anya round a corner in the cave, but there was none here. As before it went straight for what looked to be forever. Xander started feeling the walls hoping that there was a secret passage somewhere. He started to panic, "Anya! Where are you?" He yelled. All he heard was his echoing voice.  
  
After a while Xander stopped feeling the wall. He collapsed against it in defeat. Closing his eyes he cursed himself for hurting Anya, and now losing her. If there was any justice in the world, Anya had stumbled across the escape to this horrible place.  
  
"I'm home Xander! Where the hell are you?" Xander opened his eyes. He wasn't in the tunnel anymore. He was lying back on the couch watching TV. He looked over to where the voice had come from. There was Anya. She looked terrible. Well, as terrible as she could look.  
  
"What do you want woman?" Xanders words shocked him. He would never have spoken to Anya like that.  
  
"Nothing from you ya lazy bum. I see that you haven't left the couch all day, she turned around walking into the kitchen, "or all week for that matter."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"Next one please," Willow asked Giles. He handed her another book as he went even further into the one he had at the moment. Buffy looked up from her book to watch Giles. Research was definitely not her strong point. Just give her a stake and show her where to point it. Which was usually the heart. All pretty standard. Luckily Giles was around. While Buffy had become very good at dealing with problems herself, it was always nice to have him around. She sometimes thought of him as a father, although he does try and distance himself from her every once in a while. At the moment he was reading a colossal book. It made the Lord of the Rings set look like one her Cosmo's.  
  
"Earth to Giles. How is the book reading."  
  
"Well, to be quite blunt, it reads like a bloody text book," Giles said matter of factly taking off his glasses to clean them.  
  
"Now there is something I've never fought," Buffy said to Willow. "A bleeding book. I wonder how I could defeat that."  
  
"Sunnydale hasn't had a good book burning in a while. We could always try that," Willow answered.  
  
"Yeah but the blood. I get enough blood on my clothes from every day baddies. The amount of blood from something that only bleeds would be a lot."  
  
Willow thought for a moment, "Rubber gloves" Buffy and Willow smiled each other.  
  
"I am pleased that you two can still find time to joke about while I slave away at these books."  
  
"Well, we do aim to please Giles," Buffy laughed, "So I am assuming the book reading isn't going to well."  
  
"Actually I am finding out all sorts of information on Vengeance Demons. There rules are very strict and numerous as you can see by the size of this book. Unfortunately I have found nothing about dead ones," he put his glasses back on, "yet."  
  
"Well, I am sure you will. You always come through in a clutch." Giles smiled at Willows remark. Just then he heard Dawn's yelling from upstairs.  
  
"BUFFY! I think you need to see this."  
  
Buffy and Willow looked at each other. They jumped up and ran for the stairs. "Giles keep up the research. We need answers and fast." They made it to Willow's room and were quite shocked at what greeted them when they had arrived.  
  
Neither of them were expecting what they saw. On the bed were Anya and Xander. Sort of anyways. Anya was now dressed in jeans and a red blouse. Xander was in a bathrobe. Buffy was puzzled.  
  
"Dawn? Why are you switching their clothes?"  
  
"What? No it isn't me it's them. I was just sitting here when they suddenly...changed." Dawn answered. "It's more than their clothes too. Look at them. Buffy did. Dawn was right. Anya looked as if she had aged 20 years. Buffy didn't know why she didn't see it before. Xander was different also. He was considerably overweight and looked pretty dingy. He did not look any older though. At least that ruled out a hyper aging spell.  
  
"So... what do we do know."  
  
"Well, whatever is happening to them they are most likely together. And their clothing probably changes to what they are experiencing at the time," Willow answered trying to think of something else, she said "Also, that that is the best haircut I have ever seen on Anya."  
  
Buffy laughed a little. This really wasn't funny though.  
  
"You're right Willow," answered Dawn, "It looks really cute on her. We should probably take pictures of it."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Another week another chapter. Yeah it isn't my original planned schedule, but what are you going to do. I had to completely rewrite what is happening to Anya because I read what I did write, and it sucked. So here you guys go. Hope you like it and thanks for the reviews.  
  
On a small side note I just want to mention my titles. They aren't always a blunt short description of the following chapter. For example, the title has everything to do with this chapter. But you have to really think about how. Sometimes it is the characters reference. Sometimes it is mine as the writers. Not really that big of a deal. Just in case some of you thought my titles were absurd.  
  
History:  
  
- Of course it referenced the wedding episode, "Hell's Bells." The vision that Xander saw was that he was a deadbeat and beat up Anya. 


	7. Dream a Little Dream

Dream A Little Dream  
  
"MOM!", a kid screamed running into the room.  
  
Anya stopped kissing Xander. She quietly said to him, "Figures," with a sly grin on her face. She stood up and knelt next to Kiara. "What is it dear?"  
  
"Nathan stole all my books!" she yelled on the verge of tears. Anya looked over to Xander. He raised his hands questioning what to do. "She stuck out her tongue at him, "Fine, let Mother handle this." She got up and kicked Xander as she passed.  
  
"Hey!" he said laughing. Anya walked to Nathan's room. As she did this she was bewildered by all that was happening to her. One minute she was in the cave, the next she was married to Xander and had two kids. What made it stranger was that she was acting as if everything was normal. She couldn't quite explain the experience though. It wasn't like she was just present in this place while someone else did all the acting. She was actually doing these things and talking this way. It was what she wanted to do. It was as if this was her future self and she was witnessing how she acted. She searched her memories and found that she had new ones that she had never actually done before. She let her mind wander even further as she dealt with Nathan.  
  
He had stolen her books again. Specifically the ones that had to do with Math. Yes, her daughter was a weird one. She was extremely intelligent for a 12 year old. She loved math and tried to learn more about it at all times. At the moment she was learning Geometry, and god forbid you interrupt her. Of course her brother knowing it would annoy her stole the books. He had a small behavioral problem that Xander said he would grow out of. Anya had no idea though never having been around small children. According to Xander all boys go through a small destructive phase when they were 8. She sighed and accepted what he said, as long as it didn't get too bad, I guess she could go with her husbands plan. At the door she tried to force Nathan to give Kiara her books back. Of course it didn't work. He was really big on sports at the moment, an idea occurred to Anya. "If you don't give your sister back her things, we will pull you out of T-Ball so fast your head will spin mister."  
  
"Ah, MOM!!!!" he said reluctantly opening the door to his room. He gave his sister back several textbooks and she kicked him and ran down the hall into her room. "See! She kicked me, what are you going to do about that?" I think it was fair mister," she said patting his head. "Now please try not to steal your sisters things anymore. You know she hates it," she smiled at him, "have you finished your homework yet?"  
  
"Yeah Mom," he said annoyed. Anya was shocked at what just happened. When she had remembered that her son was in baseball this year, she knew exactly how to get him to give Kiara back her books. In fact it was almost as if she was starting to gain direct control over her body. This scared Anya. At the moment it was easier to just go on auto pilot. If she suddenly gained control she wouldn't know how to act. Although she did solve the small dispute between her children. Xander came walking into the hallway interrupting her thoughts.  
  
"Way to go Ahn, you got our son kicked."  
  
"Well, he deserved it. He shouldn't have taken Kiaras stuff. Again."  
  
"Well, I guess. But you know the kids are all busy in their rooms. What do you say, " he said winking at Anya. She smiled and accepted his advances.   
  
*~*~*  
  
Xander just lied there watching TV. He tried to get up, but nothing really happened. He just continued to lie there flipping through the channels. Anya would bring him a beer every hour and every time she entered, they would fight. Xander was horrified. This was all too familiar to him. It was exactly like the image he had seen of himself at his wedding. Xander struggled more to escape before the inevitable happened. But it was no use he was trapped. He tried to think of what to do. Instead though, he was bombarded with memories of a horrible past and marriage. Remembering all of the horrible events, Xander himself started to sink into despair. He was giving up, he knew what would come and he accepted it.  
  
*~*~*  
  
At Xanders touch, Anya felt good. She started to remember memories of this life. They had known exactly when Kiara was conceived. It was their honeymoon. After all that had gone wrong between them after the marriage, Xander and Anya managed to work it out about ten years later. They had found each other again. Anya was shocked. She had survived all those years of despair without him. She had always assumed she would end up dying from the pain, hence why she wanted D'Hoffryn to end it for her. She didn't fully understand and she started to cry. Something was different though, she was actually crying.  
  
Xander stopped his advance in sudden concern for his wife, "Anya? What's wrong."  
  
"Anya was in control of her body. She was no longer just a visitor. She debated telling him what had happened, but she didn't want to. She wanted to enjoy this moment. All her memories of pain were drowned out by all the happiness they had experienced. She wasn't hurt when he touched her anymore. Every time he had done so before, it had brought back the pain of him leaving her. Not here though. And she would revel in this happiness with the man she would always love. "It's nothing honey. I was just..., " she searched her memories, "I was just thinking of when Kiara was born. You were so happy and afraid. Scared you were going to drop her. I knew you were scared despite your brave face. I knew it the moment you cracked that joke about how I couldn't trade her in for more money."  
  
"I could never fool you"  
  
"No, never," she said sitting up. She pressed her lips to his.   
  
*~*~*  
  
When the next beer didn't come he was mad. "Anya!" he yelled. Xander was consumed by his bitter memories. He knew what he was doing was wrong but stopped fighting what he was doing. He knew what would come, and took that to prove that he was right in leaving Anya. His daughter walked in.  
  
"Susan! Get your dad a beer," she turned at him.  
  
"No Dad," she spit out the word Dad as if it was vile in her mouth. "I am not going to be like Mom, and contribute to becoming even more of a stinking loser than you already."  
  
"Shut up you little brat. You're my daughter and you will do as I say. Now get me a beer."  
  
"You're such a jerk. You know that. I can't believe Mom is still married to you. You know she hates you right. She regrets ever meeting you. She wishes that you would just shrivel up and die."  
  
The words coming from his daughter stung pretty hard. Xander didn't know what to do. He was out of control. He tried to fight against it, but still couldn't do anything. He was once again pulled in by the bitter memories. "You know you were a mistake right! We never even wanted you. You were the evening that we forgot your mothers birth ccontrol."  
  
Xander couldn't believe what he had just said to his own daughter. He tried to fight again. He could never be this evil, but here was the proof. These feeling he had were real. "My god!" she said with tears in her eyes, "I am glad Mom is chea..." she stopped suddenly. They stared at each other.  
  
"What is your Mom doing? Where is she?" He yelled at his daughter, "Tell me you little..."  
  
*~*~*  
  
It was the next day. Anya was once again at the magic shop. Although it wasn't the old shop that it was before. Anya had upgraded the store considerably. She did great business now. She had even turned the store into a regional chain. Anya looked over the inventory and profit reports from the other 5 stores that had been established. She had been doing pretty well for herself. This was a good life here. A though that this life wasn't real popped into her mind and she shoved it aside. Acknowledging that wouldn't make her happy. This life would. That is until the cop came into the store.  
  
She had never actually dealt with the police in her time here. She wasn't sure what she should be doing. She turned to Willow who was manning the register. Willow looked at her, "Don't worry Anya, I am sure he is just curious about the store." Anya sighed. Willow and Anya had become surprisingly good friends while Xander was gone. She understood a lot of what Anya was going through. In love and the dark side they both had to conquer. Anya walked around the counter heading towards the officer.  
  
"Hi," she said tentatively, "what seems to be the problem?"  
  
He nodded towards Anya. And opened a small flip pad. "Does an Anya Harris work here?" he said looking up from t he pad.  
  
Anya frowned, "Yes, I am her. What's going on."  
  
"Maybe we should sit down?" Anya walked over to the table and took a seat. "Mam, there has been an accident involving your sons and two children."  
  
"What?"  
  
"While he was taking them to school, they were in an accident. Your husband and soon were pronounced dead on the scene. Your daughter is in critical condition and has been taken to the hospital."  
  
Anya was stunned. She didn't know what to do. She just sat there refusing to believe what she had just heard. It couldn't be. It just couldn't be true. Not Xander. He was taken away from her again. Along with her son. She stood up shakily.  
  
The cop looked extremely sad at being the bearer of such sad news. "I'm sorry mam."  
  
"I... I should have taken more pictures." Was all she could say. She didn't know what to do, she couldn't function. The pain was too great. Willow overhearing what was said ran to Anya's side. In willows grasp she started to cry. "Why? Why did this happen." Anya broke down even more not able to speak. Willow too was crying. But she managed to gain more control of herself, enough to bid the officer that she would help Anya and farewell. The cop left reluctantly not sure if he should stay or not.  
  
Buffy came into the store seeing the cop leaving, "So is Anya finally being arrested for cheating on her taxes?" Buffy joked. Then she noticed Willows glare and Anya breaking down in tears. "Oh my god what's wrong?" As willow explained Buffy too sat down in despair.   
  
Anya couldn't stop crying. She didn't know hat else to do, so she just surrendered to the pain that she felt. She vaguely remembered willow saying something about going to the hospital. Considering she was now there she assumed they had managed to load her into the car. The entire gang was here with her. Buffy, Angel, Willow, Wesley, and Fred. Anya wondered about Giles for a moment, but remembered that he had lost his life in the Buffy's final fight as the Slayer, before her strength was taken from her. Willow was talking to a doctor. It didn't look like he had any good news. She was right.  
  
Willow came over and told Anya that the doctors were doing everything they could for Kiara, but she was still critical. None of her friends really knew what to say to her. They all just stood around her as if their presence would give her strength. Anya didn't feel it though. All she felt was despair. She had felt like this before. When Xander had refused to marry her the first time. That seemed to be a lifetime ago, the pain had been so much. But now it was even greater. They sat there for hours, waiting for news of Kiara, but none had come. Anya knew that she would die. Anya had lost all hope. She stood up to go to the bathroom. Several of her friends jumped up to help her but she waved them off. "Bathroom," was all she said as she started to walk down the hall. Her friends looked at each other and decided to let her go alone.  
  
Anya entered the bathroom and looked in the mirror. Her eyes were bloodshot. She had stopped crying several hours ago. She had just ran out of tears, but her face had showed all that she had gone through. She wasn't sure what she would do after this could she still live a normal life. She did have her friends. They had actually gown close over the past years, but were they enough. Just then an old lady walked out of the stall. She had dropped her purse, "Oh dear," she said trying to kneel and pick up all the contents that had spilled out. Anya rushed over and picked it al up for here. "Thank you dear," she said patting Anya on the hand as she left the bathroom. Anya turned around and almost slipped on a bottle on the floor. She picked up and read the label. It was Raxonal. It must have been the old ladies medication. She rushed outside the bathroom to give it to her, but she was nowhere to be seen. Anya slowly walked back into the bathroom, while staring at the medication. She opened it to look at the capsules inside.   
  
A thought occurred to her. This was morphine. If she took all of it, her death would be pretty painless. She thought about it, took a handful of pills and with a small pause, placed them all in her mouth.  
  
*~*~*  
  
Xander got off the couch as his daughter ran out of the house. His anger increased with his daughters words. He walked into the kitchen to grab another beer when his wife walked in. He faced her with an evil glare on his face. "Where have you been?  
  
Anya paused staring back at him, "Nowhere," she finishing hanging her coat on.  
  
"Well, you sure are dressed up like a slut for doing nothing." Xander was beginning to panic. The moment was coming. The more he fought against it, the more the anger built up. It was overpowering him. He knew he wouldn't be able to stop it, but he tried anyway.  
  
Anya's face become stern. She was about to say something but didn't, hanging up her coat.  
  
"What? Don't want to talk about how you've been spreading it all around town."  
  
"You're wrong. I haven't..."   
  
"Yes, you have, I know it. Our daughter told us. i bet she will turn out just like you too the little slut"  
  
"Don't you dare talk about our daughter like that. You have no right to say those things to her."  
  
"What afraid of the truth."  
  
"How dare you. I think it is you that have problems facing the truth."  
  
"You don't know what your talking about, crazy..."  
  
"Am I? When was the last time you worked Xander. Had an actual job?" With that Xander turned his back to Anya. "Hell, when was the last time you left this house. All you do all day, every day, is lie around drinking beer. You're a waste of space. You know that right Xander. You think you are such a big man. You're only big in your weight. I'm leaving Xander. This the end. I am taking Susan and I am leaving this place and you. Both of us hate you Xander. You're a horrible, father. A horrible husband. A horrible human being. I can't believe I ever loved you.  
Xander saw the pot on the stove. With Anya's last words he gripped the handle. The whole time Xander became even more desperate to stop himself from what he was about to do.  
  
*~*~*  
  
Anya closed her eyes trying to force herself to swallow. She started thinking of her past. She remembered her actual wedding with Xander. It was beautiful ceremony. Xander kept fidgeting back and forth in place. It turned out that Xander had needed to go to the bathroom the whole time. She then remembered his vows.  
  
Anya, my love, light. We have been through a lot in these past years. Frankly I was surprised when you accepted me back into your life. After I had hurt you, I had resigned myself to live without you. What made it even worse was that it was my decision to call off the wedding. I didn't think I would survive ti at first, I felt so horrible at what I had done. But I just kept thinking of you, and how strong you had been after you became human. You're strength gave me strength. I fought for life because of you. I knew that no matter what happened, I would live my life for you. And look at us now. It worked out. We were lucky this time. But now that I have said my longwinded vows, I have to go tot he bathroom even more. Hopefully yours isn't as long as mine.  
  
Her vows weren't. Anya just smiled and said I love you too.   
  
Anya started to cry again. She spit out the pills into the sink. She couldn't believe what she had almost done. Xander believed in her strength. She couldn't die now. She had her whole life ahead of her. She kneeled on the floor trying to gain control of herself. She had to live her life without Xander and Nathan. She would have to find some way to do that. The she thought of Kiara. She wasn't dead. She couldn't be. Anya gathered all of her strength. Then she thought of Xander, and gathered even more strength. He would want her to be strong now. Xander would want her to continue living. She stood up and walked out of the bathroom. She had to find out what was happening with Kiara. She met her friends and they talked for a bit. They had clearly been worrying about her. She told them that she would make it with their help and they left the waiting room to seek out answers on what had happened to Kiara.  
  
*~*~*  
  
Xander gripped the pot and lifted it off the stove. He screamed and forced with all of his strength. He would not let this happen. All of a sudden Xander yelled. He was in control. He had stopped it. He looked down at the pot and all of her words came back to him. He was extremely pained, but had no urge to hit Anya. He realized then that he never would have that urge. He dropped the pan and fell to the floor. "I'm sorry, Anya. I'm sorry."  
  
Anya just stood there. 'I'm sorry Anya," was all he could say. He couldn't believe he had been so weak. He had let his fears get the better of him on their wedding day. He did have those fears, but here was the first time he had realized they were completely baseless. He would never harm Anya in that way. He could never do something like that. How could he ever think he could be that mean.   
  
*~*~*  
  
Both Anya and Xander saw a large flash and they both collapsed onto the floor of the tunnel.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  
  
There was another flash.   
  
"Dawn, you should really stop that." Buffy said. Dawn had found their old Polaroid camera stashed in the closet along with some film. She was furiously documenting Anya's new look, thinking it really worked for her.   
  
"Oh come on Buffy. When Anya wakes up I think she will want to have pictures of this to see how cute her hair was. Now lift her up so I can get the back of her head."  
  
"No, Dawn, I am not going to pose her for you."  
  
"Why not? She did it to me when I was under The Knarls paralyzing poison."  
  
Buffy smirked at that. She was about to go ahead and lift Anya up but before she could Anya's features went back to normal. "See! Look what you've done. Now she will have no idea what the back looked like."  
  
"I am sure she will be able to manage from the pictures that you do have dawn. I am going to update Giles on the clothes changing." 


End file.
